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Broward Public Schools Intend To Hold In-Person High School Graduations, Miami-Dade Exploring Possibility

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – There is some good news for high school seniors in South Florida. Broward County Public Schools intend to hold live, in-person high school graduations and Miami-Dade Public Schools is "exploring the possibility."

"We are planning to have live in-person graduations that will be somewhat modified," said Broward Schools Supt. Robert Runcie on Tuesday. "What the modifications will entail will depend on the size of the venues we can secure and the other things we can work out logistically."

Runcie said he wants to avoid challenges for seniors.

"The drive-by graduations were great, still we are going to promote those graduations where students will have a lot of fun because they deserve a traditional graduation experience and it's not just for them, it is for everyone who supported them to get to the finish line."

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has announced the school system is exploring the possibility of in-person graduations this year, instead of pandemic-driven virtual graduations.

Carvalho says the decision is being driven by declining positivity rates for the coronavirus pandemic and improving health conditions.

Carvalho says Miami-Dade's high school seniors deserve the opportunity to experience their once-in-a-lifetime graduation in person.

"We have decided that even though this pandemic continues, with declining positivity rates in Miami-Dade with significantly improved health conditions in our community, with a desire by everyone to normalize conditions in our lives in a safe and effective way, it is time. It is time to consider and rapidly explore and make it a reality that the class of 2021 will have a proper in-person school physical presence graduation this year," said Carvalho.

In Miami-Dade, there are 25,000 seniors at more than 60 high schools.

Miami-Dade county's two-week coronavirus positivity rate was 6.23% on Thursday, down from double digits at the beginning of the year.

The in-person graduations will be tailored to the pandemic.

"We are consulting with health experts. I'm sure we will be under modified conditions, but it is the right time to do the right thing by these students. They deserve the right to march across the graduation stage so once again we are rapidly exploring and we will make it a reality," said the superintendent.

At Miami Senior High School, senior Sam Deldao told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "I feel like in person will give you the traditional feeling of it. If you go in person you get to receive your diploma and everything. But for me it's unsafe but at the same time if they have strict regulations then I'll be good with it."

There would be significant modifications for in-person graduations and there is a chance that some health experts might have some serious objections.

Full details are expected to be released next month.

Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie tweeted earlier this week that Broward schools intend to hold live, in-person graduations for the Class of 2021.

Graduations will be modified to allow for appropriate safety precautions. Additional details have not been released yet.

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